Druidism

The Olia people of the north practice a primitive religion tied to the spirits of animals, of seasons and moons and sun. The priest for a community is a magical Shaman wizard called a Druid. The practice is simple with prayers and offerings to local spirits and the spirits that influence weather, seasons and the movements of fish, birds and animals. The Druid has no advanced understandings of the metaphysical higher plane dynamics that a proper Mage uses to transform the Astral true forms into creations, manifestations and transformations in the crude material plane of the world.

Li-Joh Imperial Scholar "Observations on the Olia" Imperial Year 543

The Olia Druid is a shaman of the natural world. She takes the traditional shamanic totems and sheds her family and clan patron.  The Druid is central to Olia religious tradition but seen as primitive and backwards by Torga imperial people.

History

The first Olia people were vaporous ghosts that rose from the snow and earth. The first people were drawn up by the power of the sun, as the sun draws up the moisture into the clouds when the rains come, when it's beams can be seen. They moved as fogs and mists but could not dwell in the world, though they longed to. They watched the creatures of the world eating, gathering in herds and packs to dance and sing, making tributes following the orders of the Totems.
The first people had no words but only voices of wind. They sought Day-sky with the blazing sun of fire wrapped in glowing coils of copper for aid but it did not contain the domains of earth, being of winds, vapor and rain. He could touch the earth with water and secretly make copper that the Totems ate from the earth to make warm flesh and blood. Day-Sky feared the earth for it could hold the fire, and the water, as it held the cold, and the underworld. DaySky's water turned to ice in the night. Still some followed the Sun and the Day-Sky.

The first people turned to Mothernight with the moon orbs wrapped in silver, spinning and turning in her upheld hand. But Mothernight could not help as she was ice and crystal. Again the ground held her powers against her. Daysky-Sun melted the ice and turned it to vapor. Some followed her.

Finally they turned to the Totems themselves. The Totems of the world, wood and flesh drawn from the ground, saw the people alone, without form and felt the vibrations and intent in their voices. Each Totem took one of the first people and bound them to revere their way, and married them. This joined union then asked others to join them and from them were born the Olia into the world of flesh and blood as Children of the Totems, and now as male and female where they had been neither.


The first were the Pure Ones of the Totem that became the Jarl lines and their clans. The Black Totems still followed Mothernight and kept some of her secrets. The Red Totems of the DaySky-Sun. The Green Totems followed the Parent Totems. The Blue recalled the unformed time and secrets they had gained. And from the born there came death and rebirth and the Ghost Totems who know things hidden from the others. But not all had gone to the Sky, the night or Totems. Some went to the Underworld and places outside and made pacts with other things. These are the Nummo that bring despair, chaos and ruin. Undead, the Demonbeast and Corrupt Fellspawn.


The houses keep the Mask Societies that control the ancient faces of the Parent (Great House) Totem. The Numayum are given the stories and myths and Masks of the Season and their color: Green in the Spring, Blue in summer, Red in autumn and Black in winter. The Ghosts oversee the Ghost dance and the Drownedking and Bonegatherer and exist outside of the seasons with the Great House Totem. The Cannibal Society crosses all clans and are GreatHouse and Ghosts most frequently. The Cannibal Society are mostly men who walk with the Totems close to their hearts. Some are Totems that disguise themselves as humans.

Participants

The Druidic practices of Olian animism are loosely organized. Clan heads, and Mask Societies oversee rituals associated with clan and individual totems. The druid is intermediary with other spirits and totems in seeking favors, lifted curses, defense against Banes and evil spirits, or afflicting enemies. The Druid will have one or two apprentices and performs more general Shamanistic duties.
The Druid wears bracelets or bracers of copper and silver which represent the Sun and Moons. The apprentice must gain theirs from the tomb of a prior Druid or ones lost of old. This is one of the first duties a new druid must perform.

Local community druids will gather on occasion for major ritual occurrences. These Synods may also explore issues related to practice and observation, or make judgements related to malfeasance or foul deeds performed by a druid.

Observance

The individual has a personal patron- typically a subtype of a parental or clan totem. The General Clan totem animal has directional sub groups for different parts of or regional branches of the clan families. Thus we have the Hare clan, with Black Hare, Blue, Green, Red and the White or Ghost Hare under the Hare Jarl. The individual may have Thunder thumper, Fast Runner, Long Ears or other aspect totems. Daily practice is prayer and small offerings of flowers, meal or fruits, an acorn full of alcohol given to the patron totems.


The individual should always be respectful and thankful to the spirits for nature's bounty. Thanking the fish. The trees. The bushes that yield berries. The stream or well that provides good water. Sky spirits for rain when needed and held off when sought.


Weekly the Mask Society members will have a greater offering and prayer meal for the Clan Totem. These will involve a story, song or musical offering.

Ghost, Drowned King and Bonegatherer society perform funeral, memorial, cleaning and offerings to the dead family spirits seeking support, favor or appeasement. These are sometimes public in Olia Gifting Ritual or Olian Funeral or may be secret night rituals in funeral houses or isolated meadows or places in the forests.

The druid is a strong influence between mortals and spirits.